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From Cape Town to Seoul

China's Christians embrace commitment to world evangelization.

Christian leaders from China made history at the 2010 Lausanne Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, not by their participation, but by their absence. Although some 200 leaders had made preparations and raised the necessary funds to attend, the vast majority were stopped at the airport and prevented from leaving China.

Nearly three years later, about 100 of these leaders were able to join their counterparts from around the world in Seoul, Korea, for the Asian Church Leaders Forum.

Seoul Commitment

Chinese house church leaders commit to engage as partners with the global church in world evangelization. 

A “Gospel Team” at West Lake

Evangelism is something that is increasingly emphasized in Chinese churches, both official and unofficial. Christians are being encouraged by their pastors and by one another to look for creative ways to share the gospel with those around them, whether at home, in the work place, or in society.

Measures, Counter-measures, and Filial Piety

The Chinese have a saying: "shang you zhengce, xia you duice." A fairly literal translation is "the top adopts measures and the bottom adopts counter-measures. A more colloquial way of putting it is "the leaders make the policies and the people find a way around them."

 

 

Bringing the Gospel to Tibet

A recent article in mainland-based site, The Christian Times, highlights some of the unique challenges of doing mission work among the Tibetan people.

A Discussion of Seminary Education in China

A reporter interviews leaders from various seminaries and Bible schools throughout Mainland China (and Hong Kong and Taiwan) for their perspectives on the issues related to seminary education in China.

Things Every Expat in China Ministry Needs to Know . . .

   For those who are beginning or have just begun a life of service in China, the list of skills to master and concepts to grasp can seem daunting. The summer 2013 edition of Chinasource Quarterly (due out this week) is designed to provide a roadmap for the process of entering into the Chinese ministry context.

Preparing for Chinese Culture

This practical exposition includes discussions regarding ways of thinking about culture, first encounters between Americans and Chinese as well as verbal and non-verbal communication. Four stages of awareness as one progresses through understanding culture are explored along with an explanation of the importance of context.

A Beginner’s Bibliography

A starting point for those anticipating service in China, this bibliography includes helpful works on China's history, parenting overseas, language learning, Christianity and works about contemporary China.

“House Church” and “Three-Self”

Protestantism in contemporary China is usually expressed using the opposing terms of "house church" and "Three-Self church," but McLeister believes this paradigm should not be accepted as a given. Rather, there is a wide range of congregation types in China which the author describes. He goes on to explain why boundaries between congregations may be blurred and gives examples of cooperative activities.